Combined frame and pedestal toe arrangement for locomotives



July 23, 1940.-

E. o. ELLIOTT COMBINED FRAME AND PEDESTAL TOE ARRANGEMENT FORLOCOMOTIVES Filed June 24, 1938 INVENTOR Eowmau O. ELLIOTT A ORNEYPatented July 23, 1940 COMBINED FRAME AND PEDESTAL ToE ARRANGEMENT FORLoooMoTrvEs Edward 0. Elliott, J enkinto'wn, Pa.

Application June 24, 1938, Serial No. 215,609

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locomotives and more particularly toan improved combination of a frame and pedestal toe arrangement.

Ever since the adoption of the pedestal cap as the best known andacceptable method of closing the lower end of the pedestal opening inwhich the driving boxes and axles are disposed, the breakage of pedestaltoes on locomotive frames has been a chronic condition with which therailroad industry has sufiered for the lack of a more efiective methodand arrangement for preventing breakage of the toes or for minimizingthe expense of repairs in the event of breakage. In addition to the costof actual repairs, a very large indirect expense is often incurred bythe locomotive being idle when removed from service. This can be anextremely serious matter, particularly in the event of urgent need forthe locomotive on the road.

In an effort to overcome the foregoing breakage of pedestal toes, ithas, been attempted to make the frame sections heavier adjacent thetoes, yet continued breakage of the toes has been appreciable inasmuchas an ill-fitted or loose pedestal cap or excessive stress may readilycause breakage. To repair broken pedestal toes in the past has sometimesrequired the removal of the frame on one side of the locomotive, therebyadding further expense caused by removal and replacement of numerousportions of the locomotive machinery, frame bracing, etc. Considerabledifficulty has also been encountered in integral cast frames due tohoney-combing of the metal or shifting of the mold or cores at or nearthe vital pedestal toe H points. Such defects can readily result inrejection of the entire frame should the customer refuse to acceptwelding of the deficient portions.

While an integral cast steel bed has many points of superiority over thebuilt-up or bar frame, yet the breakage of pedestal toes in the integralsteel bed has been a serious problem, in fact the repair of the same isa far more serious matter than with a bar frame, since in an integralbed it is necessary to weld a very thick mass to the very light sectionsof the bed, whereas the bar type frame has heavier sections which permitmore effective welding. Further the casting of a large integral bedstructure with relatively light sections throughout, except for thelarge mass concentration at the pedestal toes, is a difficult problembecause during cooling of the casting the shrinkage of the lighter andof the more massive sections is not the same, thus inducing shrinkagebreakages at the outset of the manufacturing process, this in additionto the liability of blow holes or honey-combing of the pedestal toes.The prior art has not provided a solution to all of the foregoingdifiiculties, among others. 7

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved pedestal toearrangement in combination with a frame so asto overcome'the manydisadvantages above mentioned. A further object is to provide animproved pedestal toe and frame arrangement that is relatively simpleand inexpensive in construction, opef'ation and maintenance and yetprovides ruggedness and strength against breakage under the many adverseCOIldle tions of operation.

Other objects and advantages will be more ap parent to those skilled inthe art from the following-description of the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an integrally cast locomotiveframe and bed adjacent the pedestal openings incorporated in my improvedpedestal toe arrangement;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; r

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal and vertical sectionthrough one pedestal toe and a portion of a pedestal cap;

.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing amodified arrangement for bolting the pedestal toeand cap to the frame.

- In the particular embodiments of the invention, such as are disclosedherein merely for the purpose of illustrating certain specific formsamong possible others that the invention might take in practice, I haveshown a conventional type of integrally cast bed frame having usual sidemembers I and 2 cross connected by suitable members 3, Fig. 2. Thespecific details of construction of the frame do not enter into mypresent invention and hence need not be further described. The sidemembers terminate at their lower ends in fiat surfaces 5, formed on whatconstitute rails 6 of the bed frame, while any desired number ofpedestal openings 4 may be provided in the frame. The pedestal openingsare formed entirely and completely by usual pedestal legs whichconstitute an integral part of the frame and which are separate from andindependent of the pedestal toe structure.

Supported on each of the flat surfaces is my improved combinedsupplemental bottom rail and pedestal toe member generally indicatedat 1. This member extends preferably continuously from one pedestalopening to the other and has pedestal toes 8 formed integrally with thebody portion of the supplemental rail 1. The main rail 6 andsupplemental rail 1. are preferably held in fixed longitudinal relationto each other by transverse keys 9 and bolts Ill. The supplemental railis further secured to the frame by bolts I l and I2 extending through ausual pedestal cap I3. As shown in Fig. 3 the two bolts II have collarsl4 firmly seated in suitable recesses of rail 1 while the bolt I2 has asimilar collar l5 firmly seated in the toes 8. Preferably the bolts IIand i2 have a reamed fit with the holes in the main lower rail 6 and inthe supplemental rail 1 and have a loose fit in the pedestal cap 13. Thespecific shape of the pedestal toe 8 and mating recess in the pedestalcap may be of any conventional form usually slightly tapered. Also ifdesired the supplemental rail may have lips I! as shown in connectionwith the center supplemental rail in Fig. 1, these lips being receivedin suitable recesses in the side walls of the pedestal openings 4.

The end-most pedestal toes l8, Fig. 1, are formed on partial lengthsupplemental rails l9, specifically half lengths. These half lengthsupplemental rails are keyed and bolted to the main lower rail in thesame manner as for the full length supplemental rails.

In the modification of Fig. 4 a bar type frame is shown. Thesupplemental rail 28 is however shown with only a single key 2! whilebolts 22 (corresponding to I I) hold the rails together without anycenter bolts such as it. Due to the thickness of the side walls 23forming the pedestal openings, a bolt 24 (corresponding to 12) isthreaded into the bottom rail 25. Furthermore, if desired, thesimplicity of my improved arrangements is conducive to extremelyeffective welding of the main and supplemental rails as by longitudinalwelded seams 2E and 21 extending preferably for the full length of thesupplemental rail. The welded seams are straight and of substantiallength and extend in a direct line to oifer maximum resistance tospreading of the pedestal guides.

From the foregoing disclosure it isseen that I have provided a simpleand yet highly effective combined supplemental rail and pedestal toewhich not only allows the main frame 5 to have a relatively simple fiatsurface 5, machined if desired, but also insures maximum strength andruggedness for the pedestal toes. In fact this supplemental rail and toearrangement is sufiiciently simple that it may be effectively andeconomioally made of high grade fatigue resisting alloy such as nickelsteel, and if desired the supplemental rail may constitute a well workedand annealed forging. This improved arrangement also insures maximumpossibility of a good sound casting in the simple lower rail portion ifformed as part of an integrally cast frame without any difiicultiesarising from imperfect pedestal toes or from failure of pedestal toesthat might even have been an orginally sound casting. It is furthermoreseen that even though the pedestal toe might break in my improvedsupplemental rail, yet such rail by being detachable in all forms may bereadily removed with minimum time and efiort merely by first removingany of the various detachable holding means whether in the form of thebolts or the narrow welded seams, the removal of such holding means andthe separate character of the rail eliminating the necessity ofdismantling a frame side or removing other locomotive equipment attachedto the frame. The fact that the pedestal openings are formed entirelyand completely by the pedestal legs which constitute an integral part ofthe frame allows the supplemental rail and pedestal toe to be removedwithout in any way disturbing the usual journal boxes and pedestalshoes. Hence it is seen that I have provided a very effective bed frameand pedestal toe arrangement for overcoming the disadvantages that havelong existed with prior arrange ments and have additionally accomplishedmany advantages not previously available in the art as hereinbefore setforth.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a cast frame having lower integral rails terminatingat their opposite ends adjacent to and integral with pedestal structuresprovided with usual pedestal openings, members comprising supplementalrails supported on the under surfaces of said lower frame rails andextending continuously from one pedestal opening to the next pedestalopening, pedestal toes formed onthe opposite ends of and integrally withsaid continuous supplemental rail, detachable means for securing saidsupplemental and lower frame rails together, and a pedestal capconnected to the pedestal toes on opposite sides of the pedestalopenings whereby the tension load in one pedestal cap is transmittedthroughthe continuously extending supplemental rail to the cap of thenext pedestal opening.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, further characterized in thatsaid under surface of the lower rail of the frame is substantially flatthroughout its length and the supplemental rail has a similar flatsurface to be seated against said flat surface of the lower rail.

EDWARD O. ELLIOTT.

